Owing to the fortuitous arrival of stormy weather, this year's dead zone peaked smaller in size than predicted. However, substantial portions of the affected Gulf weren't just low in oxygen, but virtually devoid of it. This summer researchers witnessed foot-long eels swimming at the surface. Normally they live in the Gulf sediment. Some seafloor-dwelling crabs also propelled themselves dozens of feet up to the surface to avoid suffocating. [Source: ScienceNews]